Common fault
Why is there water under my refrigerator?
Short answer
In a high-rise this is the fault to call about today, because the floor under your refrigerator is somebody else's ceiling.
The reasoning behind that
Clean water pooling at the front usually means the supply line or a fitting feeding the ice maker has failed. Cloudy water, with ice on the freezer floor, means the defrost drain has iced closed and the melt is backing up inside the cabinet and running out under the door. Both repairs are small. What is not small is water tracking under a hardwood loft floor, into a subfloor, and into an HOA claim involving the unit below yours.
How the diagnosis goes
Shut the water off first if you can reach it. In a condo the valve is often inside a cabinet run, behind a panel, or in a utility closet shared with the water heater, so it is worth finding out where yours is before you ever need it. If you cannot find it, pull the refrigerator's power at the breaker to stop the ice maker calling for another fill, and put towels under the front while you wait.
Then look at what the water is telling us. Clear water only when ice drops, or a puddle that grows steadily even with the ice maker turned off, points at the supply side. Water with a slick of frost on the freezer floor and a wet cabinet interior points at the drain. Ice inside the drain trough is the one we see most in these kitchens, and it is a flush and a heater check rather than anything structural.
If that matches what yours is doing, say so when you call — it decides which parts come on the van.
Our Sub-Zero wine cooler failed just before hosting a party. They arrived within two hours Saturday evening and repaired it expertly. Their 24/7 responsiveness and professionalism were remarkable. Highly recommended in the Gaslamp Quarter!
The technician was courteous and highly knowledgeable. He diagnosed our fridge’s ice maker quickly and had parts ready. The repair was efficient and smooth. Great experience from scheduling to completion.
I called late at night when my freezer alarm sounded. They were the only repair service answering calls and sent a technician that same night. He fixed a faulty seal and saved our frozen food. Lifesavers in Downtown San Diego!
Appliance down in Downtown San Diego?
Tell us the brand and what it is doing — we can usually name the likely repair before we arrive.
Questions
Answers before you call
Is the work warranted?
Both the parts we supply and our labor are covered, with the terms printed on your repair invoice, so keep it. In a condo it is also what a management office asks for later if water was involved. If the factory warranty is still on the unit, say so first: sealed-system coverage can depend on who does the work.
Is a built-in worth repairing, or should I replace it in a downtown condo?
Repairing usually wins, and in a high-rise it wins by more. Replacing an integrated column is not swapping a box: it means matching an exact cabinet opening, remaking or reusing a custom panel front, and getting the new unit through a corridor the original passed before the millwork was finished around it. The faults we actually see are ordinary parts.